Clytie
Warnings: None
Spoilers: To TVA
Disclaimers: I don't own the vamps, Anne Rice does. I make no money off of this.
The field seemed barren and flat, sown with salt, and the sky was horribly dark. The sun had fallen from the sky, plummeting from his previous height, and now lay prone on the rocky ground. Flowers occasionally came up to view the dim star, but their attention always withered away. Daily concerns of life and death turned their thoughts from him. Only one flower remained true, a strange plant with black and white petals, so weak and frail that it seemed impossible that it alone had the strength to watch over the sun. But in truth, it had no choice. It craved the sun. It needed the light desperately. No matter what happened, even if the sun never rose again, this flower would continue to watch.
Louis woke up abruptly in his pew. No one joined him there, on the front line. No one had been able to get that close. Even the stronger elders whom he considered friends, or at the very least, allies against those damn rogues wandering around, even they sat behind him when they wished to speak. Louis was the only one who could sit so close.
Lestat lay still on the floor, hardly breathing, never moving. Sometimes moonlight would spill over his body, and revitalize his features. His lifeless eyes would appear to focus on a picture of one of the stations of the Cross. His skin would glow through the fine layer of dust. His hair would shine like the sun. But then the light would fade, and it would be helpless Lestat there. He was certain the moonlight helped Lestat somehow, but no one else believed him.
Cloth rustled behind him. David and Gabrielle were placing the dark covers over the windows again to keep the approaching sunlight out. They were the only ones who humored him, desperate themselves for any mystical cure for their maker. When Louis suggested the moon's beams, they did not argue. They only covered the windows up again so that Louis would not burn in the light.
Louis nodded a grateful thanks to them, then sighed. Everyone in the church held their breath as they watched him rise and take a few steps toward Lestat. They saw it every night, and every night it still amazed them. Louis lay down next to Lestat, picked his limp arm up and draped it over his dark coat, and snuggled close. Dust drifted onto his body, but Lestat made no attack against him. Louis kissed his cheek, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
The next night, when he woke up, he felt terribly guilty to leave Lestat, even for a moment. But he had to feed, and David could not bring a mortal for him tonight. David was too busy searching his books for an answer. Louis whispered an apology and explanation to Lestat, kissed him again, and stole away.
He felt violently ill the moment he left Lestat's side. He went to the side of the church, and half a minute later came a small child, a little girl. Her resemblance to Claudia went unnoticed. He didn't care about that anymore, he did not even think about it. He killed her, casually threw her aside, and returned to the church. He knew one of the straggling vampires would dispose of her. Louis was forgiven these little slips in the rules. His heart was lying on the floor.
When he went back inside, however, his heart was gone. Music was playing somewhere. He rushed forward to where Lestat had been, an outline in the dust in front of the altar. Lestat was gone. Half a moment away, and he was gone. He'd failed Lestat. He'd failed.
"He's in the side room," David whispered in his ear. "He's awake. The music must have done it. Come in."
Louis hesitated, then shook his head frantically and ran into another room of the large church, locking the door behind him before he collapsed to the floor as Lestat had done before. The sunlight had gone.
Ten minutes later, the music finally ended. Louis was surprised that he could still register that in his mind. It would be morning in an hour or so, when he could lapse into sleep and escape from this nightmare. Footsteps passed by the door, but didn't stop. Chattering voices broke into his thoughts, and he moaned. Why couldn't he just slip peacefully into oblivion?
The doorknob turned, stopped at the lock.
Louis froze in anticipation.
The knob turned once more, then violently wrenched to the side, breaking the lock. Louis did not look up as the door swung open, did not want to see who was coming inside.
Hard, warm hands fell onto his shoulders. Someone was laying on the floor beside him. Someone took his arm and put it over their side, as if to force him to embrace them. They cuddled against him, holding him close.
"Now who is the helpless one?" the familiar voice whispered.
"I love you," Louis replied softly. "You're so warm..."
"Go to sleep, chere. I'll hold you. It's my turn now. I'll hold you."
And Louis closed his eyes. He didn't need to watch the sun when it was holding him.
The End